About - Rachael White Designs

ETHOS

At Rachael White Designs our ethos is rooted in the belief that nature holds the power to transform. We design landscapes and create gardens that are not only sustainable and rich in biodiversity, but also deeply enchanting – spaces that stir the senses and nature the soul.

The natural world we inhabit is ever-changing and our profound respect for its resilience informs everything we do and how we design. The awe and wonder in nature inspires us to innovate and constantly explore new solutions to today’s challenges.

Recognising the adaptive brilliance of plants and by creatively re-using materials, our designs tell stories of renewal, reinvention and continuity – by weaving the past into the present, we craft landscapes that thrive today and endure for generations to come.

ABOUT US

We transform both private and commercial landscapes, using classical design principles, with a naturalistic and contemporary sensibility.

We endeavour to capture the historical aspects of each project and where it sits within the landscape. This approach weaves a property’s heritage and character into our design, preserving its essence while cultivating an enduring, sustainable legacy for the next generation.

As landscape designers our ethos is not only to preserve history but to recognise the role of nature and how it impacts the landscape, sometimes adversely. We focus on ecological resilience to ensure the beauty and integrity of our designs continue to evolve harmoniously with the land, while safeguarding their story for the future.

As a landscape company offering a full design-to-completion service, we provide the flexibility to refine your vision organically throughout the whole process.

Wildlife pond, wildflowers, reflections and barn conventions

HOW WE WORK

We design | We build | We plant

Our design team works to establish a strong structural backbone to create a coherent journey across the landscape. This structure and flow allows our build teams to confidently install the design, and to create distinctive bespoke features where the finer details really matter. Our horticultural team then has the freedom to create bold planting schemes to soften the hardscapes and deliver a beautiful final design.

Seamlessly transitioning between design and build creates a symbiotic relationship that ensures your vision remains uncompromised, providing you with opportunities to step back and reflect as the landscape evolves.

No design is totally bespoke – it’s simply a collection of ideas, images and perspectives gathered through life experiences. The bespoke part is mixing these up and putting them back together and it’s this process that forms the basis of your design.

We design

We work closely with you to understand your vision so that we create a design that meets your needs and wishes, which also complements and is sympathetic with the landscape it will inhabit.

A full site analysis allows us to assess a project and the location as a whole. This is also an opportunity to identify unique features and characteristics, which can either be enhanced or that may need to be overcome.

To help you visualise our ideas we prepare a variety of zonal drawings and plans, as well as hand drawn sketches and mood boards, to capture the feel of the design. These will often showcase materials for hardscapes as well as suggestions for structural planting and other bespoke features.

We also offer an optional service providing 3D visualisations, including a fly-through across the landscape allowing you to fully experience and envision the final design.

Throughout the process we encourage you to be bold and to create something from instinct, whether or not it’s the done thing. Look at what’s around you and you’ll see that nothing is the same height or colour, this is the backdrop we work with, and we encourage you to use it as your canvas.

landscape design layout plan open meadows ponds rivers and formal garden designs for outdoor living

botanical garden design 3D sketche layout plan

We build

Once the design has been agreed our experienced in-house team starts to re-shape the landscape to align with the design, ensuring it integrates seamlessly into its surroundings, whether it’s a townhouse garden or estate grounds and larger landscapes.

With expertise in creating everything from tree-lined avenues to terraced lawns, and lakes to pool houses, we adapt each design to suit the environment, solving challenges as they arise.

We have long established connections with a range of local and international suppliers, from quarries to stonemasons, and from nurseries producing large specimen trees to specialists supplying more exotic plants and bulbs.

We also collaborate with experienced artisans to create bespoke features to ensure that each project is truly unique.

We plant

Once the backbone of the landscape and the gardens are complete, we add the finishing touches with structural and herbaceous planting. This phase is where a project truly comes alive, gradually evolving into its final, ever-changing form.

Our experienced horticultural team not only designs the planting plans they also handle the installation of plants, ranging from small bulbs to large, majestic trees. The right plant in the right place ensures a garden stands the test of time, rewarding you year after year as your garden evolves and matures in an ever-changing reflection of the seasons.

We also provide ongoing consultancy and advice for the long-term care and development of your garden, supporting you to make sure your garden continues to thrive and bring you joy through every season.

The Studio

Rachael White has more than 20 years’ experience designing gardens and heritage landscapes. As a quarryman’s daughter she developed a deep respect for the regenerative power of nature and its ability to transform forgotten spaces into sanctuaries for new and enduring ecosystems, for plants as well as wildlife.

Using her deep understanding of natural landscapes, Rachael harnesses the adaptive brilliance of plants to design and create outdoor spaces that are fit for contemporary living, whilst honouring and working in harmony with the surrounding countryside. Her innovative re-use of existing materials allows the old to blend seamlessly with the new – respecting the past and preparing for the future.

Rachael leads an interdisciplinary team of designers, craftsmen, and horticultural specialists, collaborating with independent artisans to bring the most distinctive elements of her designs to life. Her extensive industry connections grant access to the finest materials and suppliers, ensuring every creation is truly one of a kind.

With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to excellence, Rachael White Designs creates and delivers truly bespoke gardens and landscapes, each one shaped by expertise, artistry, and an enduring connection to place.

“You can only create the best by collaborating with the best” – RW